Weekly Galaxy Academy Update: April 25

Development Academy teams return to action on Saturday

April 25, 2011

LA Galaxy Communications

DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY TEAMS RETURN TO ACTION ON SATURDAY: The LA Galaxy Academy U-16 and U-18 teams will return to action this weekend when they host Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. The U-18’s kick off at 1 p.m. while the U-16’s will follow at 3:30 p.m. Both games will be played on Field #5 at The Home Depot Center and admission to the games is free.

The Galaxy U-16’s are currently 14-2-1 for 43 points in all competitions, including a 5-2-0 mark in their seven SoCal Division games. Their 43 points are the most in the Division, six more than Pateadores and San Diego Surf. The U-18’s are 10-5-2 for 32 points on the season, including 3-2-2 in the Division. They currently sit in fourth place in the Division, 14 points behind the leaders, Pateadores, though they have at least three games in hand on all three of the teams that sit in front of them in the standings.

Both teams have 11 games left in the season against SoCal Division opponents. Of those 11 games, six will be played at home, starting with Saturday’s games against Chivas USA.

TWO ACADEMY PLAYERS FEATURE FOR RESERVES: Galaxy Academy players Justin Dhillon and Matt Tilley each came on as second half substitutes in the Galaxy’s 3-1 loss to the Timbers in Reserve League play on Sunday afternoon. Dhillon, a forward from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., replaced Frankie Hejduk in the 66th minute and helped the Galaxy score their only goal of the game when he was taken down in the box by Portland’s Freddie Braun, leading to a penalty kick which was converted by Bryan Jordan.

Tilley, who was originally born in England but now lives in Irvine, Calif., came on for Jordan in the 84th minute.

Dhillon plays for the Galaxy’s U-16’s, he’s scored seven times in 12 games, while Tilley, who recently joined the Academy program, has scored once in his five games with the U-18’s.